Hand operated staplers



May 5, 1959 M. ABRAMg 2,884,636

' HAND OPERATED STAPLERS Filed March 19, 195 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MORRIS ABRAMS A from/Ex May 5,1959 XMABRAM 2,884,636

HAND OPERATED 'STAPLERS Filed March 19, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. M ORR/5 A BEA M5 ,4 Tram/5).

May 5, 1959 M. ABRAMS HAND OPERATED STAPLERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 19, 1 958 n I I u I r I fr A II'IIIIIIIII INVENTOR. MORRIS ABRA MS 8 ATIWRIVEY.

'May 5, 1959 M. ABRAMS 2,884,636

' HAND OPERATED STAPLERS Filed March 19, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. MORE/S ABQAMS United HAND OPERATED STAPLERS Morris Abrams, Great Neck, N.Y., assignor to Arrow Fastener Co., Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application March 19, 1958, Serial No. 722,449

16 Claims. (Cl. 1-49) This invention relates to hand operated staplers. It is particularly directed to a stapler having a depressible handle to actuate the stapling mechanism.

An object of this invention is to provide a stapler of the character described, having highly improved releasable means for locking the operating handle in depressed condition when the stapler is not in use, said locking means being so arranged as to retain the upper end of the plunger spring.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a stapler of the character described, highly improved mechanism, controlled by the handle when released, for raising the plunger which carries the driver, against pressure of a spring, and suddenly self releasing the spring loaded plunger to drive a staple, upon depressing the handle, said mechanism including means to restore the self releasing raising mechanism to normal condition upon removing pressure from the handle to permit the handle to be raised by a spring provided for that purpose, so that the device is in condition for another stapling operation.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a stapler of the character described, means controlled by the spring which acts on the holder for the driver, for retaining the handle locking means in locking and in releasing positions.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged and durable device of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and manipulate, and which shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown various illustrative embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a vertical plan partial view of a stapler embodying the invention, which the staple magazine removed;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but with the handle depressed and showing the spring loaded driving mechanism before it is moved down;

Fig. 3 is a partial view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the handle locking mechanism in releasing position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the handle locked in depressed position;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the handle locking cap;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. l;

2,884,636 Fatented May 5, 1959 ice Fig. 12 is a front end view of the staple driver holder,

and

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 1313 of Fig. 12.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a stapling device embodying the invention, but with the usual staple magazine removed. The device 10 comprises a body 11 made of a pair of similar, symmetrical ly disposed body frame members 12 assembled in mutual contact at a common plane.

Each frame body member 12 has a hand-hole 13, and comprises an outer side wall 14 provided at the hand-hole with a top flange 15, a front flange 16, a rear flange 17, and a bottom flange 18, all interconnected and forming said hand-hole. The outer side wall 14 comprises a portion 19 above the hand-hole, a portion 20 in back thereof, a portion 21 therebelow, and a portion 22 in front of the hand-hole. Extending from portions 19 and 20 are inwardly curved flanges 23 and 24 interconnected by a curved flange portion 25. The flanges 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 have inner edges in a common plane, which is the plane between the two frame members 12, with the edges of one frame member contacting the complementary edges of the other. Side wall portion 21 has a bottom horizontal edge 26, and side wall portion 22 has a front edge 27. Edge 27 has at its upper end, a set-back edge portion 27a.

Side wall 22 also has a top upwardly and forwardly curved top edge 28 from the front edge of which extends upwardly a short vertical rear edge 29. Extending from the front upper end of side wall portion 22 is a top horizontal flange 30 (Figs. 9 and 10). Said flange 30 has an inner edge 31 in the plane of the edges of the hand-hole flanges. At an intermediate portion 31 is formed a semi-circular opening 32. Flange 30 has a forwardly extending lip 33, the front edge 34 of which is in the plane of front edge 27. Flange 30 has a rear right-angular notch 35.

The upper rear area 37 of side wall portion 22 is pouched outwardly, as shown in the drawing, said area being bounded by a front shoulder 38, a lower shoulder 39 and a shoulder 40 at the upper handle portion 19.

Side wall 22 is formed, above the bottom edge 26, and in rear of the front edge 27, with a rectangular opening 41. Each frame 12 is furthermore formed with a round hole 50 below flange 30, and rearwardly of front edge 27a; with a round hole 51 below shoulder 39 and rearwardly of hole 41; and with a round hole 52 just forwardly of the lower end of flange 24.

The frame members 12 are fixed together by a pin 53 passing through openings 50, a pin 54 passing through openings 51, and a pin 55 passing through openings 52.

Each frame member is also formed, in the portion 37 thereof, with an opening 56, located below and rearwardly of opening 50, and receiving a transverse rivet or pin 60.

Fitted onto the front of the body 11 is a front cover 61 having a front wall 62 contacting front edges 27, and from which extend rearwardly, side flanges 63 which straddle and contact outer surfaces of the side wall portions 22. Front wall 62 has a lower edge 62a, and side walls 63 have lower edges 63a, in the plane of lower edges 26. Each of the side flanges 63 has a rear edge 64 from which extends a curved edge 65 concentric with respect to opening 51. Extending forwardly from lower end of edge is a horizontal edge 66 aligned with the lower edge of rectangular opening 41 in side wall portion 22. Extending up from the forward end of edge 66 is an upwardly and rearwardly shallowly curved edge 67, from which extends a curved edge 68 concentric with opening 50. Extending from edge 68 is a vertical rear edge 69. Each flange 63 has a top horizontal edge 70 extending forwardly from the upper end of rear edge 69. At the upper edge of front wall 62 is an upwardly and forwardly inclined lip 72. Front wall 62 is formed with an intermediate forwardly recessed portion 73- Side flanges 63 are formed with openings 75 in alignment with openings 51 to receive the pin 54, and with openings 76 to receive the pin 53.

Supported in openings 41 are the wing ends of stop plates 77 supporting a pad 78 acting as a bottom stop for a holder or plunger 80 which carries the staple driver 81.

Said plunger, holder or carrier 80 has a front wall 82 from the lower end of which extends rearwardly a bottom wall 83, and from the sides of which extend rearwardly, a pair of side flanges 84 having inwardly extending flanges 84a underlying said bottom wall. At the upper end of front wall 82 is a forwardly pressed flange 85 having wing extensions 86 contacting front edge portions 27a of side wall portions 22. Front wall 82 has a forwardly pressed lip 86a cut therefrom forming a lower edge shoulder or abutment 87 The driver 81 lies against the front surface of wall 82 and is riveted thereto as by rivet 88. The upper edge of the driver abuts shoulder 87.

Side flanges 84 are similar, and each has a rearwardly extending nose 90 formed with a lower horizontal edge 91 and an upper rearwardly and downwardly curved cam edge 92 meeting edge 91 at a blunt point 93. Below nose 90 is a notch 94. Driver 81 lies against the inner surface of front wall 62 of the front cover 61. The head of rivet 88 lies in back of forwardly recessed portion 73. When the holder 80 is in its down position, it rests on the pad 78 which then contacts the undersides of flanges 84a.

Supported on bottom wall 83 of holder 80 is a coil compression spring 95, the lower end of which is held on the bottom wall by an upturned lip 83a at the end of said bottom wall. The upper end of the coil spring 95 projects upwardly through the openings 32 in top flanges 30, and abuts the underside of the top wall of a cap 101 which will now be described.

Cap 101 comprises said top wall from which extend downwardly a pair of parallel ears 102 straddling the upper end of the body 12. Ears 10a are formed with aligned openings 103. Each opening 103 has at its lower side, a pair of substantially semi-circular notches 104, 105. The pin 53 passes through openings 103 and will engage notches 105 in one position of the cap 101 (Fig. 3) and in notches 104 in another position of said cap (Fig. 4). The top wall 100 has an upwardly pressed U-shaped area forming a recess to receive the upper end of spring 95. The upper surface of said area 110 is serrated transversely at 111 to form a finger grip to aid in shifting the cap 101 forwardly to position of Fig. 3, or rearwardly to position of Fig. 4. At its rear end, said top wall 100 has a rearwardly and downwardly inclined finger lip 112 for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

Self releasing means is provided to raise the holder 80 against the pressure of spring 95, whereby, when said holder is released, it will descend with force to drive a staple from a staple magazine of any suitable construction (not shown) which may be mounted between side walls 21, 22 and supported by pins 54, 55 in the usual manner, as for example, as shown in United States Patent No. 2,617,096.

To this end, there is pivoted to pin 60 a handle having a top longitudinally curved wall 121 from the sides of which extend down parallel side walls 122. The side walls 122 have aligned openings 123 through which passes the pivot pin 60. At thefront end of top wall -121-isa' portion 124 of part cylindrical shape having its center of curvature at the axis of pin 60. Side walls 122 have front edges 125, front underedges 126, and rear underedges 127. The handle tapers or narrows rearwardly. Extending from intermediate portions of front edges 125 are inwardly extending fingers 128, and extending from the lower ends of said front edges are inwardly extending, overlapping arms 129 having aligned openings 130. The handle projects out of the body through the top open portion thereof between flanges 23 and top flanges 30, crossing the edges 28. The front end of the handle lies within the body and between the side wall portions 37.

Mounted on the pin 60 is a torsion spring 131 having one arm 132 contacting flanges 15, and a second arm 133 engaging the underside of top wall 121 of the handle. Thus spring 131 biases the handle upwardly or for movement in a counter-clockwise direction, looking at Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

Mounted on said pin 60 between the side walls 122 of the handle, for a sliding pivotal connection, is a pawl or trigger 140. Said trigger has a bottom web 141 from which extend upwardly side flanges 142 formed with longitudinal slots 143 slidably receiving the pin 60. The front end of the trigger projects between arms 129 and fingers 128. Extending rearwardly and downwardly from the rear end of web 141 is a finger 145. Finger 145 is connected by a coil tension spring 146 to arms 129. The ends of spring 146 engage in openings 130, 145 respectively. Spring 146 tends to pull the trigger forwardly.

Side flanges 142 of the trigger have front noses 150 bounded by upper edges 151 and downwardly and rearwardly front edges 152 forming points 153. The flanges 142 are in the planes of side flanges 84 of the holder 80. The noses 150 project into notches 94 and engage the underedges 91 of noses 90.

When the handle 120 is pressed down from the position of Fig. 1, arms 129 pivot trigger 140 upwardly and the holder 80 will be raised, compressing spring 95 until noses 150 bypass noses 90, at which time the compressed spring 95 causes the holder to descend with force to drive a staple. Pin 53 limits upward movement of the trigger. Upon release of the handle, it is raised by spring 131 until the front end of the handle contacts pin 53. As the handle swings upwardly, trigger 140 is swung down by fingers 128 and edges 152 of the trigger cam against edges 92 of the holder and the trigger slides rearwardly, tensioning the spring 146 until noses1-50 bypass noses 90 when said spring again slides the trigger forwardly, bringing noses 150 again beneath edges 91.

When the cap 101 is in the operating position of Figs. 1 and 2, finger 112 of the cap is beyond the circle of movement of portion 124 of the handle and does not interfere with movement of the handle. This is also the position of Fig. 3, with pin 53 in notch 105.

To lock the handle 120 in its downward position, said handle is first depressed, and then cap 101 is shifted backward, bringing pin 53 into notches 104 and also bringing finger 112 into the path of movement of handle portion 124. Upon release of the handle, the front edge 124a contacts the finger 112 to lock the handle against coming up.

To release the handle, it is slightly depressed and the cap shifted forwardly, again bringing pin 53 into notch 105. Spring 95 tends to rotate cap 101 in a clockwise direction, looking at Figs. 1 and 2, thereby retaining pin 53 in either notches 104 or 105 upon shifting the cap to either of its positions.

Serrations 111 aid in shifting the cap by giving purchase to a thumb or finger against the serrated portion of the cap.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical .use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that the matter set forth above or shown in the accompanying drawings is merely illustrative and is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being delineated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a stapler, a stapler body, a pivot, a handle pivoted thereto, a staple driver holder slidably mounted in the body, spring means depressing the holder, a trigger having a sliding pivotal connection to the pivot for the handle, said holder having a rearwardly extending nose, said trigger having a forwardly extending nose engaging the underside of the nose on the holder, said handle having means to swing the trigger upwardly therewith whereby as the handle is swung down the trigger will raise the holder and compress said spring means, and said trigger being shaped to self release the holder in the raised position of the holder, to permit the compressed spring means to cause the holder to descend with force.

2. The combination of claim 1, in combination with spring means to swing the handle upwardly, means on the handle to swing the trigger downwardly as the handle swings upwardly, without preventing rearward sliding movement of the trigger on said pivot, said trigger and holder noses having interengaging portions to slide the trigger rearwardly as said trigger swings downwardly so that the nose on the trigger by-passes the nose on the holder, and spring means adapted to be tensioned when the trigger is slidably moved rearwardly, so as to again move the trigger forwardly when the nose on the trigger by-passes the nose on the holder so as to move therebeneath.

3. The combination of claim 2, said last mentioned spring means comprising a spring interconnecting said trigger to said handle.

4. The combination of claim 2, said last means comprising a coil tension spring interconnecting the rear of said trigger to the front of said handle.

5. The combination of claim 1, in combination with lock means movably mounted in the body, to lock said handle in downwardly swung position in one position of said lock means, and said lock means clearing the handle and releasing the same, when said lock means is moved to another position thereof, to permit operation of said handle.

6. The combination of claim 5, in combination with means to retain sail lock means in each of the two positions thereof.

7. The combination of claim 5, said lock means comprising a cap pivoted to said body, said spring means being interposed between said holder and cap, said cap having a finger adapted in one position of the cap, to engage a front edge of the handle.

8. The combination of claim 5, a pin on said body, said lock means comprising, a cap having a top wall and side flanges extending downwardly therefrom and formed with aligned openings, each having a pair of notches adapted to selectively receive said pin, and said spring means being interposed between said top wall and holder, said top wall being formed with a finger adapted to engage the front end of the handle when the pin is in one pair of aligned notches in said flanges.

9. In a stapler, a stapler body, a handle movably mounted thereon, a staple driver, spring means to depress said holder movably mounted on said body, self releasing means to move the holder against pressure of said spring means, to load the same upon operating the handle, whereby, upon release of the holder, said holder will move under pressure of the loaded spring means for driving a staple, lock means to releasably lock the handle against operation in one position of the lock means, and to release the handle in another position of the lock means, and means co-acting with said spring means to retain the lock means selectively in each of its said positions.

10. In a stapler, a stapler body, a handle movably mounted thereon, a staple driver, spring means to depress said holder movably mounted on said body, self releasing means to move the holder against pressure of said spring means, to load the same upon operating the handle, whereby, upon release of the holder, said holder will move under pressure of the loaded spring means for driving a staple, means to bring the self-releasing means to normal position ready for another holder moving operation, upon releasing the handle after operating the same, and means acted on by the spring means, to releasably lock the handle in operated condition.

11. In a stapler, a hollow stapler body provided with a hand-hole, a pivot pin traversing the body, a handle pivoted to said pin, spring means to swing the handle upwardly, a holder for a staple driver slidably mounted at the front of the body for up and down movement, a vertical coil compression spring on the holder, means on the body contacting the upper end of said spring, a trigger having a slot receiving said pin therethrough, said handle having means at its front end, located above and below the trigger to swing the trigger with the handle while permitting sliding movement of said trigger relative to said pin, said holder having a rearwardly extending nose, said trigger having a forwardly extending nose engaging beneath said holder nose, a coil tension spring connecting said trigger with said handle, and tending to pull the trigger forwardly so that as the handle is swung down, the holder will be lifted to compress said compression spring until said noses self-disengage after the compression spring has been compressed, to cause the holder to descend with impact, and said noses having mutually camming portions to cause the trigger to be cammed back when the handle is raised after release, thereby tensioning the tension spring, whereby to again move the trigger forwardly, so that the nose thereof again engages beneath the nose on the holder after the noses by-pass each other.

12. The combination of claim 11, in combination with a transverse pin on the body to limit the upward swinging movement of said trigger.

13. The combination of claim 12, and means including said last pin, to limit upward movement of said handle.

14. The combination of claim 13, said means engaging the upper end of said compression spring, comprising a cap having a top wall and downwardly extending flanges formed with similar openings receiving said last pin.

15. The combination of claim 14, said opening in said flanges each having a pair of notches to selectively receive the last pin.

16. In a stapler, a body, a handle pivoted thereto, a holder for a staple driver slidably mounted in said body, spring means to depress said holder, means controlled by the handle to raise the holder against said spring means, releasable means to lock said handle, and means controlled by said spring means to selectively retain said lock means in handle locking and in handle releasing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,845,617 Metcalf Feb. 16, 1932 2,492,509 Vandervieren Dec. 27, 1949 2,493,640 Peterson Jan. 3, 1950 2,657,384 Boroughs Nov. 3, 1953 2,671,215 Abrams Mar. 9, 1954 

